Golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly

ABSTRACT

A golf ball position marker is frictionally connected to a golf green repair tool. The marker includes a thin circular head and an integral elongated stem. The tool includes a flat handle at one end and prongs at the other end. An aperture is provided in the repair tool midway of the ends thereof for frictionally retaining the stem of the marker. The repair tool may be made from plastic or aluminum and, when made from aluminum, the aperture therein may include a resilient grommet. By locating the marker between the end portions of the repair tool, advertising space is provided on the handle end of the repair tool.

United States Patent Inventor Raymond R. Hatch Dexter, Mich.

Appl. No. 10,888

Filed Feb. 12, 1970 Patented Nov. 23, 1971 Assignee Hatch Stamping Co., Inc. Dexter, Mich.

GOLF GREEN REPAIR TOOL AND GOLF BALL MARKER ASSEMBLY 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 273/32 A, 273/32 B int. Cl A63b 57/00 Field of Search ..273/32, 162

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ l 964 Doble 273/32 8 2,26l,959 ll/l94l Buttikofer 273/162 D FOREIGN PATENTS l,043,683 9/l966 Great Britain 273/ l 62 D Primary Examiner-George Mario Attorney-Olsen and Stephenson ABSTRACT: A golf ball position marker is frictionally connected to a golf green repair tool. The marker includes a thin circular head and an integral elongated stem. The tool includes a flat handle at one end and prongs at the other end. An aperture is provided in the repair tool midway of the ends thereof for frictionally retaining the stem of the marker. The repair tool may be made from plastic or aluminum and, when made from aluminum, the aperture therein may include a resilient grommet. By locating the marker between the end portions of the repair tool, advertising space is provided on the handle end of the repair tool.

PAIENTEBuuv 23 ISII 3,622,157

INVENTOR RAYMOND R. HATCH BY I wax/M ATTORNEYS GOLF GREEN REPAIR TOOL AND GOLF BALL MARKER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The general concept of a golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly is known, as evidenced by US. Pat. No. 3,120,388 which illustrates an assembly of this general type. However. the assembly illustrated in the aforementioned patent requires the use of a magnet to retain the tool and the ball marker in assembly relation and does not provide adequate space at the grip end of the tool for inclusion of desirable advertising or other information thereon. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved assembly of this general type which is economical to manufacture, is readily adaptable to mass production procedures, and provides a repair tool of improved shape adapted for the inclusion thereon of advertising or other informative printed information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form of the assembly of this invention, the repair tool is formed of anodized aluminum and consists of a flat body member having a first enlarged end portion of a width to fit the thumb and a second fork shape end portion having prongs for digging into the turf. The body member has a rubber grommet installed thereon between the end portions, the grommet having a through opening of a size in which the integral elongated stem of a conventional ball marker can be frictionally retained. In another form of the invention, the tool, which is of the same shape as the metal tool, has a through hole of a size to frictionally retain the ball marker stem. The tool, in both forms of the invention, is readily manufactured in large quantities at economical costs and provides adequate space on the first end portion for the inclusion of advertising or other informative printed information. It is to be understood, however, that in general the tool of this invention can be made out of metal or plastic or any other suitable material.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a front elevational view of one form of the golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly of this inven- IIOI'I',

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembly of this invention as seen from substantially the line 2-2 in FIG. I;

F IG. 3 is a front elevational view of another form of the golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly of this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembly of this invention as seen from substantially the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

With reference to the drawing, the golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 as consisting of a body 12 of flat plate shape configured so that it has a flat hand grip portion 14 at one end and a fork portion 16 at the opposite end which terminates in a pair of ground engaging prongs I8. Intermediate the hand grip portion 14 and the fork portion 16, the body 12 is formed with a through hole 20, and a grommet 22, formed of a resilient material such as rubber, is extended through the hole 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grommet 22 has flanged ends 24 which engage the body 12 so as to maintain the grommet 22 in a fixed position within the hole 20. A conventional golf ball marker 26 having a flat circular head 27 and a stem 28 is assembled with the body 12 by pushing the stem 28 through a central opening 30 in the grommet 22 to a position in which the circular head 27 engages a grommet flange 24. The stem 28 is of a diameter sufficiently large relative to the opening 30 in the grommet 22 to cause the grommet 22 to expand so that it resiliently and frictionally grips the stem 28 and retains the marker 26 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 until removal of the marker 26 for use is desired.

In the use of the assembly 10, an indentation in a golf course green can be readily repaired by gripping the portion 14 of the body 12 between the thumb and forefinger and inserting the prongs 18 into the green turf at an inclined angle relative to ground level. The body 12 is then manipulated so as to pry the indentation in the green upwardly by the application of force on the body 12 with the thumb. Whenever it is desired to mark the position of a golf ball on the green, the marker 26 is readily pried loose from the grommet 22 and used in the conventional manner.

The body 12 is preferably formed of an anodized aluminum material and the broad thumb sized portion 14 of the body 12 provides adequate space for advertising or other informative printed material.

The modified form of the assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10a in FIG. 3, includes a body 12a which is of a shape identical to the shape of the body 12. The body 12a thus has portions 14 and 16 and prongs 18 like the corresponding portions of the body 12. The body 12a also has a through hole 40 located between the portions 14 and 16. The body 12a differs from the body 12 in that it is formed of a plastic material instead of aluminum. The plastic from which the body 12a is formed has sufficient rigidity to enable it to be used like the body 12 to pry up portions of a golf green, but the body 12a will yield sufficiently to enable the stem 28 of the ball marker 26 to be frictionally inserted through the opening 40 in the body 120. To provide additional length to the opening 40, and thus additional friction retaining surface for the stem 28, the body can be provided with a bulb portion 41 at the opening 40, as shown best in FIG. 4. Thus, in the assembly 100, the ball marker 26 is readily assembled with the body 120 by forcing the stem 28 through the opening 40 to a position in which the ball marker head 26 engages one side of the bulb portion 41 on the body 12a. The assembly 10a can then be used like the assembly 10.

From the above description it is seen that in both the assembly l0 and the assembly 10a, the repair tool 12 and 120, respectively, is of a shape to be readily manufactured in large quantities at an economical cost. In both cases, the end portion 14 is of a size to provide substantial space on which ad vertising or other informative printed information can be placed. This latter advantage is due to the disposition of the ball marker 26 between the end portions 14 and 16 instead of in the end portion 14, as is the case with prior art devices.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly comprising a flat body member having a first end portion of a width to fit the thumb and a second fork shape end portion having prongs, said body member having means between said end portions providing a retaining opening, a marker having a circular head and an integral elongated stem, said stem being extended through said retaining opening in frictional retained engagement with said means forming said opening.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means providing said opening is a grommet formed of a resilient material and having flanges engaged with opposite sides of said body.

3. The assembly according to claim I wherein said body is formed of plastic and said marker stem is extended through said body.

i l t t 

1. A golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly comprising a flat body member having a first end portion of a width to fit the thumb and a second fork shape end portion having prongs, said body member having means between said end portions providing a retaining opening, a marker having a circular head and an integral elongated stem, said stem being extended through said retaining opening in frictional retained engagement with said means forming said opening.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means providing said opening is a grommet formed of a resilient material and having flanges engaged with opposite sides of said body.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of plastic and said marker stem is extended through said body. 